Erika Hurd won the high jump on Friday with a career-best 5' 9.25" mark.

Jan. 18, 2013

Kenya Woodall won the 400 meters and Erika Hurd the high jump to highlight the Bearcats’ opening day results at Indiana University’s Gladstein Invitational indoor track & field meet. The event is taking place at IU’s Gladstein Field House.

The meet also featured a 400 meters invitational, which was won by UC alum Mary Wineberg in 52.91, just missing the meet record by under seven-tenths of a second. Woodall won her race in a time of 56.70, which would have been good for fourth place in the invitational.

Hurd led a strong UC performance in the high jump with a career-best mark. The Bearcats took three of the top seven spots in the competition. Hurd was first at 5’ 9.25” – a height that ranks in the top 20 in the nation this season – and Kaitlyn Good was third at 5’8 .25”. Ashleigh Pickens was seventh at 5’ 4.25”. Hurd topped her previous best by an inch-and-a-half.

"Erika had a big PR (personal record) to win her event," said head coach Susan Seaton. "Kaitlyn PRed as well for third."

UC had a solid first day overall in the two-day meet that features some of the top indoor track & field programs in the region. Frida Akerstrom placed eighth in the shot put with a throw of 48’ 3.25” and Kaitlyn Meyer was eighth in the 3,000 at 10:23.81, bettering her time from the previous week by almost 10 seconds.

The Bearcats came out strong in the 60 meters and 60-meters hurdles preliminaries. Shanay Portis and Cameron Gardner both advanced to Saturday’s 60 meters finals with times of 7.76 and 7.77, respectively. UC put three into Saturday’s 60-meters hurdles finals, more than any other school. Danheisha Harding posted the fifth-fastest time in the prelims at 8.86, narrowly edging teammate Je’Rica Sanders who ran 8.95 for sixth fasts. Javette Lee was the third qualifier at 9.15.

The second day of the Gladstein Invitational begins at 11 a.m. Saturday. For event-by-event Twitter updates, follow @UCDougMosley.